Details

Take flight.

Storm mountain passes, rail corners, and leave the competition in the dust with the Zipp 202 Firecrest Carbon Clincher Road Wheelset. While it may be tempting to pigeonhole this mountain goat of a wheelset as a one-trick pony due to its feathery weight, the 202 has proven itself to be a versatile wheelset ready to take on any cycling challenge.

The 202 Firecrest features Zipp's lowest profile with a 32mm rim depth that provides exceptional crosswind stability on exposed descents. Its 24.62mm brake track is compatible with a range of tire widths to accommodate different riding styles and surfaces. The wider rim also gives tires a solid platform to increase stability by reducing the side bulge effect found in tires mounted to narrower rims.

With climbing comes descending, and the inevitable fear of overheated rims that so often creeps into the mind of those with carbon wheels. Zipp addresses the issue of carbon rims overheating under prolonged braking by introducing a special heat-resistant resin into the carbon layup to increase heat dissipation and reduce the potential for rim failure. Zipp claims that use of this resin has led to an impeccable record of zero heat-related rim failures in its carbon rims, so you can ride those big descents with confidence that you'll make it safely to the next climb.

While the 202 doesn't have the deep rim of Zipp's 303 or 404, it does feature some aerodynamic qualities. An updated version of Zipp's signature Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control (ABLC) dimpling uses strategically placed and sized dimples across the rim surface to smooth airflow. Zipp claims that ABLC boasts aerodynamic advantages at real-world yaw angles of 10 to 20 degrees, which compares favorably to many competitors whose minimum drag numbers manifest at yaw angles of five to 10 degrees — numbers that rarely occur outside of a wind tunnel. In non-tech terms, this means these wheels should outperform the competition in the conditions you'll actually encounter on the road.

Zipp uses its 77 hub on the front and its 177 hub on the rear, both of which enjoy improved durability and stiffness compared to their predecessors. Featuring a new platform and graphics for 2016, these hubs boast increased bearing protection over their previous versions and are ready to roll without any pre-load adjustment. The rear hub is compatible with a separately sold XD driver body to allow for a wider cassette range of up to a 10-42t if needed, and driver bodies can be swapped out without having to re-dish the wheel. Each wheel includes an updated quick-release skewer with a widened handle that provides leverage when installing the wheel and clean lines as it sits close to the frame when closed.